Retail master trusts have been outperforming industry funds over the past few months, according to the latest analysis by researcher Chant West.
At the same time as releasing new data revealing that the median growth fund returned 3.4 per cent in April, the Chant West research found that for the second consecutive month, the median master trust outperformed the median industry fund.
The research house said this reflected a further downward valuation of the unlisted assets to which master trusts had a much lower exposure than industry funds as well as strong performances in listed markets, where master trusts had higher exposure.
However, it said despite the turnaround in fortunes over March and April, industry funds continued to hold a sizeable advantage over their commercial rivals in terms of historical performance.
“In all likelihood, industry funds will finish the 2008-09 financial year ahead of master trusts, which would make it nine wins out of the past 10 years,” the Chant West analysis said.
“However, the magnitude of the outperformance is not sustainable and we expect it to narrow, with further downward valuations to take place in unlisted markets.”
Vanguard Super has reported strong returns across most of its investment options, attributed to a “low-cost, index-based approach”.
The fund has achieved double-digit returns amid market volatility, reinforcing the value of long-term investment strategies for its members.
Australian super funds notched a third consecutive year of strong returns, with the median balanced option delivering an estimated 10.1 per cent over the 2024-25 financial year, but an economist has warned that the rally may be harder to sustain as key risks gather pace.
AustralianSuper has reported a 9.52 per cent return for its Balanced super option for the 2024–25 financial year, as markets delivered another year of strong performance despite the complex investing environment.